Extension Advice Please

ab1982

Hello, I am looking for some advice on extension building. I have a 3 bed detached, the third bed is hardly big enough for a bed and I’d like an extra bedroom as we want to have another child. I plan to fund it by remortgaging and taking some cash out. I’d guess the house is worth somewhere around 200k and current mortgage is 100k fixed for another year, I'm 34 (dont count Mrs as she has her own investment properties and I look after family home) and I will retire when I drop (or Mrs makes fortune whichever comes sooner). What I’d like to understand from somebody in the know is what the process is for doing this and any gotcha’s I should be aware of.

As I understand it I need to;

1) Ask an architect to draw up some plans.
2) Submit for planning permission.
3) Get 3x quotes to complete work.
4) Appoint a do-er.
4) Remortgage taking out cash to fund work (would + 10% contingency be sensible).
5) Get the do-er to do the doing.
6) Get architect to apply for building regs.

Is the above about right?

Any guestimates what I can expect to pay an architect in North West/East Midlands? As this is the bit I think I need to fund out of my "pocket" as it were and if we didnt go ahead would be written off.

Any financial advice (taken as is) appreciated, ie not sure if I should do a short term fix so I can remortgage at better LTV% after the extension is built?

Would be an over the existing single garage (single skin) with the fitted en-suite. Would do the decorating ourselves but everything else I'd want a pro to do.

Its all a bit daunting, this is about the most expensive thing I’ll ever buy that doesn’t exist yet so I want to get it right. Thanks for viewing and/or commenting.

Doozergirl

Sounds about right. I like your terminology of doing the do, that's the sort of thing I'd say.

Single skin isn't appropriate to build on at all and hardly worth trying to use the one skin that is there and add onto as it's highly, highly unlikely to have suitable foundations. Underpinning means more work and more cost than knocking it down and starting again.

So you're budgeting for a full blown two storey extension, okay?

My gut says that unless this extension is massive, you're not going to see your money back. Is that okay with you? Is this your forever home.

ab1982

Thanks Dooziegirl, I thought there was some kind of pinning they can do with the garage, only ½ of where the build is will be over garage rest is kitchen so maybe like you say rebuild the garage. I was hoping to pay no more than 30k for the lot but to be fair this is the bit I don’t think I’ll have any decent guess on until I get plans and quotes though I think.

It’s our forever home so whilst it’s not about making money back I would like to think it should be fairly close on how much it costs vs how much value to the house just in case we did want/need to move. Interesting you say that actually, on the estate probably 100 of the same type houses and about half have over-garage extensions, the 3 beders like ours sell really quickly and I always think overpriced yet the 4 beders seem to sell slower so you’re probably spot on that the extra bedroom doesn’t help the value as much as people like to think.